Chapter 56 – A Dance of Daggers

The decision had been made.

There was no time left for careful maneuvering, no luxury of patience. The rebellion would ignite tonight.

Seraphina's pulse thrummed with the weight of it as Edric paced before the hearth, his expression sharp with urgency. The embers cast flickering shadows on the walls, and the air in the study seemed heavier, thick with the storm of what was to come.

"Laurent is moving his men to the eastern quarter," Edric continued, his voice clipped. "The streets will be barricaded within hours. He's locking the city down."

Seraphina frowned. "Then we'll need another way in."

Adrian stood near the window, his stance deceptively casual. But she knew him well enough now—there was nothing at ease about him. His fingers tapped once against the windowsill before he turned back to them.

"The tunnels," he said simply.

Edric's brow arched. "The old catacombs? They haven't been used in—"

"They still connect to the palace," Adrian interrupted, his voice calm, certain. "We take our forces through them. If Laurent thinks he has the streets locked down, he won't expect us to come from beneath his feet."

Seraphina nodded. "Then it's settled."

Edric let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. "I swear, you two are starting to enjoy this."

A small, wry smile touched her lips. "A little too late to be concerned about that, don't you think?"

Edric exhaled through his nose, muttering something under his breath. "Fine. I'll gather the others." His gaze flicked to Adrian. "And you?"

Adrian met his stare evenly. "I have one more visit to make before nightfall."

Seraphina felt the shift in the air. She knew where he was going.

Adrian had spent years believing his mother's murder was the work of a single enemy. Now he knew better.

He wasn't the kind of man to leave stones unturned.

As Edric left the study, Adrian finally turned back to her. Their gazes met, and something unspoken passed between them.

"You're going to see him," she said quietly.

Adrian didn't deny it. "If Aldric ordered my mother's death, I need to know why."

Seraphina inhaled slowly. "And what will you do with that answer?"

His jaw clenched. "That depends on what he says."

She stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "The rebellion is already in motion. If you go to the palace now, you risk walking straight into a trap."

"I won't be caught."

She gave him a look that said she was unconvinced.

Adrian's hand lifted, his fingers brushing against her forearm. The touch was light, almost hesitant, but it sent a ripple through her nonetheless.

"You doubt me?" he asked, his voice lower now, intimate.

Her throat tightened. "No. I fear for you."

Something flickered in his eyes. He turned his hand, his fingers tracing down her wrist, his thumb brushing the inside of it where her pulse beat. The sensation was delicate, maddeningly so.

"I'll return before nightfall," he murmured.

Seraphina swallowed, feeling something dangerously close to longing unfurl in her chest. "You had better."

His gaze dropped to her lips for the briefest second before he released her.

Then he was gone.

---

The tunnels were colder than she remembered.

Seraphina moved swiftly through the underground passageways, the scent of damp stone filling her lungs. Torches lined the path, their flickering light casting shifting shadows against the walls.

Edric led the way, his pace quick but silent. Behind them, their forces followed, a mix of cloaked rebels, former soldiers, and those who had suffered too long under Laurent's rule.

This was it.

They had planned for months, maneuvered the pieces carefully across the board. But now, all that mattered was the final strike.

The attack would begin at the palace's eastern wing—while Laurent's attention was locked on the city streets, expecting an uprising above ground, Seraphina and her forces would rise from beneath him.

She tightened her grip on the dagger at her waist.

She thought of Adrian.

He should have returned by now.

Doubt curled in her chest, but she shoved it aside. He was not a man easily caught. He would come back.

Wouldn't he?

A hand brushed against her shoulder.

Seraphina turned, finding Edric's gaze steady on hers.

"He'll make it," he murmured, as if reading her mind.

She forced a breath, nodding. "We move forward regardless."

Edric smirked. "Now that sounds like Adrian."

She huffed a quiet breath but said nothing more.

The tunnel sloped upward. The final passage before they reached the underground entrance to the palace.

Seraphina's heart hammered.

She touched the hilt of her blade, steadied herself.

And then the doors opened.

---

Adrian had learned long ago how to move like a ghost through the palace halls.

He was no longer the young man desperate for approval, no longer the loyal hound at Aldric's side.

Tonight, he was something else entirely.

The king was waiting.

Adrian entered the chamber, his steps measured, controlled.

Aldric stood by the window, the glow of the city beyond casting his silhouette in shadow. He did not turn at Adrian's approach.

"I was expecting you," Aldric said finally, his voice calm.

Adrian stopped several paces away, watching him. "Then you already know why I'm here."

Aldric exhaled, finally turning. His gaze was steady, unreadable. "You learned the truth."

Adrian's fingers curled into fists at his sides. "You ordered my mother's death."

Aldric did not flinch. "I allowed it."

The confession was not a surprise—but the ease with which he said it sent a cold fury through Adrian's veins.

"I trained under you," Adrian said, his voice quiet, lethal. "I bled for you. And you knew all along."

Aldric sighed, rubbing his temple. "You misunderstand, Adrian. I did not do this out of cruelty."

Adrian's vision blurred with anger. "Then why?"

Aldric met his gaze evenly. "Because the alternative would have been worse."

Adrian stilled.

The king continued. "Laurent was not the only one who wanted her dead. There were those who saw her as a threat, Adrian. And if I had not allowed it to happen, they would have come for you."

A chill spread through Adrian's chest.

He searched the king's face for any sign of deception.

"Who?" he demanded.

Aldric exhaled. "Not yet."

Adrian's jaw locked. "Then you have given me no reason to spare you."

A flicker of something crossed Aldric's gaze. "I never expected you to."

Adrian stepped forward. He drew his blade.

Aldric did not move.

And then—

A knock at the door.

Both men turned as a guard entered, his expression tight with urgency.

"My lord," the guard said. "The palace is under attack."

Adrian's heart slammed against his ribs.

Seraphina.

Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the night.